It’s been two weeks since B.C. opened up to non-essential travel in phase three of the provincial restart plan so the Undercurrent dropped by Tourism Bowen Island’s Cardena Rd. office to see what greets our off-island visitors.
The messaging starts before people visit the island. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has recommended tourists call ahead before visiting towns to make sure they’re welcoming visitors (some aren’t) and what the protocols are. On the COVID-19 alerts and updates page of the tourism website is a note that BC Ferries and several island businesses request or require masks and when people email Tourism Bowen Island about visiting the island, they’re reminded of that fact said Jody Lorenz of Tourism Bowen Island.
On the ground in Snug Cove, “When we’re talking to people, we’re wearing a mask so we’re modeling the protocol,” said Lorenz. They have hand sanitizer at the centre and signs up about distancing. When they do a group talk, they make sure people are well spaced apart, said Lorenz. “So it’s definitely different. We have to approach things slightly differently.”
“We’re very much trying to make sure that people are aware that, as Dr. Henry says, when you travel, you take your travel manners with you that you abide by what you’ve been doing at home when you go elsewhere,” she said.
The staff are trying to stay on top of local businesses’ hours and protocols and share that with visitors said Lorenz (though sometimes these can change quickly.) Often people are coming to the island for its outdoor options so the tourism office shares short walk options as well as longer treks such as up Mt. Gardner. “Our nature experience is the big draw,” said Lorenz.
While it’s early days, the visitor centre only opened June 27, Lorenz said the island is getting visitors. “We are finding that with the nice weather, as it has always been,…people are coming. “They want to get out of dodge and go get some fresh air. So Bowen, we’ve got that kind of nice little escape for people to come here.”
However, numbers may be down from the average July weekends of the past. “I have not looked at what was last year,” said Lorenz. “But just looking, to me it is down.
“Will that continue? I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“It’s always weather dependent,” she noted.
“COVID has made so many people very nervous and in many ways, rightly so,” said Lorenz. “I do want to make sure that residents are aware that we are taking our role as helping to promote COVID health safety [seriously].
“I really want to make sure that we do what we can with the people that we talk to,” she said, noting that they don’t talk to every visitor. “The people that we’re generally seeing are aware and we’re just trying to reinforce that.”
